I. Technical Field
The present invention relates to mobile communication systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel improvement in truck mobile communication systems which facilitates the transmission of trailer identification and trailer status information to a truck tractor which is capable of relating the information to a customer facility.
II. General Background
Mobile communication systems are utilized by commercial trucking companies to locate, identify and ascertain status of their vehicles. Mobile communications systems are also used to send information, and receive information and information requests from the operator of their vehicles.
A pressing problem facing todays trucking industry is the difficulty in keeping track of the location of its various trailers throughout the country. Quite often a trailer is left at a location, either by design or accident, and later forgotten about. The unnecessary down time on these commercial trailers can result in a substantial economic impact on the commercial trucking company.
It is standard practice for commercial trucking companies to offer bounties for the location of misplaced trailers unaccompanied by a tractor. This bounty motivates truck drivers and other drayage personnel to report the location of otherwise unreported mislocated trailers. The offering of a bounty also may motivate truck drivers to intentionally leave a trailer at an incorrect location so as to be able to claim that bounty when they report the location. This problem can result in an inordinate number of commercial trailers being left at inappropriate locations for an inappropriate amount of time.
Along with ascertaining the location of various trailers, it is also desirable to ascertain the status of equipment, environmental conditions, or payloads within these trailers. For example, it is useful to be able to monitor various parameters affecting the cargo of the trailers such as temperature and pressure inside the trailer. It is also useful to be alerted to potential hazards which may be indicated by parameters such as radiation levels and gas leakage.
A mobile communication system which implements a unit installed in the cargo carrying trailer can facilitate the communication of tractor-trailer connection and disconnection activity, as well as cargo status information, to a trucking company home base, via a mobile communications terminal within the tractor. It is desirable to have such a trailer unit utilize existing tractor-trailer electrical wiring and available power so as to minimize the modifications to the tractor and trailer needed to facilitate the implementation of this communication system.
It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved mobile communication system which will facilitate locating and identifying misplaced commercial trailers.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved method and apparatus for communicating trailer identification and status information to the driver of the tractor hauling the trailer, and to the trucking company home base via the mobile communications terminal in the tractor.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved method and apparatus for using existing tractor-trailer electrical wiring and available truck power to power the mobile communication system of the present with minimal power drain on the truck.